Signal.



Patented May l5, ISDH.

J. H. MGCARTNEY.

SIGNAL.

v (Application tiled May 4, 1898. Renewed. Mar. 22, 1900.) (No Model.) l

JNrrnn STATES PATENT Fries.

l JAMES Il. MOOARTNEY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PNEUMATIO RAILVAY SIGNAL-COMPANY,

VEST VIRGINIA.

SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,523, dated May 15, 1900.

Application filed May 4, 1896s Renewed March Z2, 1900i Serial N0. 9,789i (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JAMES H. MCCARTNEY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-letters marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of devices operated by fluid under pressure, such as pneumatic railway-signals, by means of which the signals or devices may be more quickly and positively operated than is t-he case with devices now in use, and one portion of my invention consists in the provision of means for suddenly increasing the pressure of the iiuid in the main or pipe when it is desired to operate the signals or similar devices in one direction to above the pressure in the fluid reservoir or tank and in positively and quickly exhausting the iiuid from the pipes or conduits to cause the operation of the signal in the opposite direction, whereby the reduction in pressure due to the frictionof the fluid in the small pipes or conduits necessarily employed is overcome and this without the necessity of maintaining a large amount of fluid under high pressure. This feature of providing for the quick action of pneumatic devices as signals is particularly desirable in connection with such a switch and signal apparatus as is contained in Letters PatentNo. 513,231, granted January 23, 1894, in which the controlling devices for the signais are located at one point-say a railwaycrossing-and the signals or actuated devices are located some distance up the tracksay several hundred yards--as the pipes or conduits for the fluid are necessarily small on the ground of economy of construction and the resistance to the liuid is necessarily great.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification. In thc accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating a 5o railway-signal, as a semaphore, and its operating mechanism and connections with the controlling devices; Fig. 2, a diagrammatic view of the controlling-valve in position to operate the signals to danger or' normal 5 5 position; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the valve moved to the position for actuating the signal to safety.7

Similar reference-letters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The signal shown, which indicates but a type of a device actuated by fluid under pressure, embodies a post or support A, to the upper end of which is pivoted a semaphorearm B, connected by a link B with a lever 'The Weight B3 normally 7o moved and the signal turned to safety position. As in all devices of this class the signals are normally at danger and are moved to safety position by suitable operating devices. As this invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with such signal 8o devices as are shown in the Dodgson patent before referred to, the means I have shown for controlling the signals is such a double valve as is contained in said patent and as shown herein diagrammatically in the drawings and embodying a casing D, having a port or opening d, connected with a reservoir or other source of supply of fluid, preferably air under pressure. Said valve-casing is also provided with a port or passage d on one side 9o and a port or passage d2 on the other side, d3 indicating an exhaust port or passage. lThe plug-valve E, operating in this casing, is provided with a handle E and contains passages e and e (shown in full lines) and also other exhaust-passages e2, (indicated in dotted lines,) and adapted to open communication directly or indirectly between the ports d and d2 or suitable pipes connected therewith and the exhaust-port d3. I regard it as desirable, though not essential, that the controlling-valve be provided with the exhaust-passages e2 in order that the pipes f and g may be open to the air, so that the signal may be operatedrquickly. v

Located preferably near the valve or the tower containing it are two cylinders F and G, arranged in line, the former having within it an operating-piston F' and the latter an operating-piston G', both connected to a piston-rod G2. vided at opposite ends with suitable bufferrings J, of leather or other suitable material, so as to cushionand prevent the pistons from striking the ends of the cylinder, and the piston G' and its cylinder are larger than the piston F' and its cylinder. p

f indicates a pipe or conduit leading from the port d' of the valve-casing D to the inner endv of the cylinder G, and g a pipe or conduit-leading from the port d2 of the -valve to the outer-end of the cylinder G, and h a pipe connecting with g and leading to the inner end of the cylinder F and also to a portj, located in the side of the cylinder F and preferably at a shorter distance from the outer end thereof than the length of the pistonhead F', so that When said piston is moved to the left it will eifectually cover said port The piston-head G' operates as an engine for actuating the air-forcing piston F', and the controlling-valve E serves not only as a means for controlling the supply and exhaust to and from the piston, but as well to govern the supply and exhaust directly from the pipe or conduit k. To the outer end of the cylinder F is connected a pipe 7c, leading to the signal to be operated and which, as stated, is 1ocated some distance from the controllingvalve E. K indicates a casing having two chambers or cylinders of different area in which operate pistons L and M, the latter in the larger chamber M' and the former in the smaller chamber L'. The pipe 7c communicates with the outer end of the cylinder M', and in the side of said cylinder is a port M2, connected by a pipe m with the end of the cylindrical valve-casing N, in which operates a movable piston or auxiliary valve N', adapted to move freely from end to end of the cylinderand to engage packing N2 at the ends, said packing forming not only a buffer for the valve N', which moves freely, but also preventing the passage of air around the piston when in contact therewith. The opposite end of the valve-casing N is connected by a pipe 'n with the pipe c, leading to the signal-cylinder, and in the side of the cylinder N is a port o, connected by a pipe o' with the pipe c.

p indicates a port in the cylinder N in the same position relative to the left end of the cylinder that the port o is relative to the right end, and p' is a pipe connecting said port p Both of these cylinders are pro-.-

vand g having been permitted to exhaust through the aperture cl3 in the valve-casing. Vhcn now it is desired to set the signal to safety, as to permit the passage of a train,

the-valve vis moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, causing the air or other fluid under pressure to pass from the supply-port d to port d2, pipe g to the right-hand end of cylinders G and F, and also into the cylinder F to the left of the piston. Y The greater pressure on the piston G' will cause the immediate movement of the pistons F' and G' to the left, forcing the air contained in the pipe 7c and the cylinders toward the signal, moving the connected pistons L and M to the left, closing the port q, and, as soon as the piston M has passed beyond the port M2 in the casing K, admitting pressure through theY pipe m to the end of the valve-casing N, driving the valve N' to the left, and allowing the air to enter the signal-cylinder through the port 0 and pipes o' and c, throwing the semaphorearm down to safety position, indicating a clear track, the parts being then in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and the operation having been rapidly accomplished, notwithstanding the small area of the pipe k, by reason of the increased pressure brought to bear on the Huid therein by the piston G' ot' large area. When it is desired to return the signal to danger, the valveE is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, admitting fluid to the pipe f and permitting the exhaust of the iuid from the pipe g. As soon as the valve is turned to this position pressure is admitted to the left end of the cylinder G, causing the rapid movement of the pistons G' and F' to the right, the right-hand ends of said cylinders being open to the air through pipes g and h. The backward movement of the pistons is assisted somewhat by the pressure of the fiuid in the pipe 7s from the signal; but the large area of the piston G' causes a rapid movement of the piston-rod II and a tendency to create a vacuum in the pipe 7c, causing the signal to be operated quickly. After the piston F' has passed from over the port j the air from the pipe 7c is exhausted through pipes 7L and g. As soon as the pressure is reduced in the pipes k and m the valve N will return to the position in full lines in Fig. l and the differential pistons L M will move to the position shown in full lines, cutting off communication with the pipe m and opening the port q to the external air, permitting the exhaust of the fluid from the signal-cylinder and the return of the signalarm to normal or danger position. After IOO IIO

the signal has been returned to normal position the valve E is preferably returned to the position shown in Fig. 1, with the pressure entirely cut off. This feature of hastening the movement of the distant semaphores or signals by amplifying the pressure for a short space of time to cause their operation in one direction and in creating instantaneously a partial vacuum or suction to operate the signals in the opposite direction is particularly desirable in devices ofl this general description and constitutes one of the leading features of my invention.

In order that the apparatus may act promptly, it is preferred that the cubic capacity of the cylinder G shall be about equal to the capacity of the pipe 7s between it and the semaphore and also that the cubic cf.,- pacity of the cylinder G shall be greater than that of F.

It will be understood that instead of employing the differential valves L M and the auxiliary valve N' at the signal either one could be dispensed with and the other relied upon to open communication with the air when the pressure is cut oft or diminished in pipe k, or both of .these could be dispensed with and the signal actuated directly, as in the Dodgson patent before referred to, and also that the pipe 7c could be continued and two or more signals operated from it, if desired; but I prefer both of the valves shown for the reason that one is a check on the other and it is not necessary to exhaust the air from the semaphore-cylinder c to the controllingvalve E each time the signal is to be operated.

l claim as my invention- '.l. The combination with a cylinder, a piston operating therein, and an operated device, as a signal, of a reservoir for fluid under pressure, two cylinders of diderent areas and connected pistons operating therein, a pipe connection between said signal-cylinder and the cylinder having the smaller area, and valve devices and pipe connections for admitting uid from the reservoir to either side of the piston having the larger area, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an operated device, as a signal, actuated by an increase and decrease of fluid-pressure, and a pipe or conduit leading thereto, of a reservoir forfiuid under pressure, two cylinders of different areas and connected pistons operating therein, a pipe or conduit between the smaller cylinder and the operated signal, a passage between one end of the larger cylinder and the opposite end of the smaller cylinder having a port controlled by the smaller piston, a passage between one end of the larger cylinder and the corresponding end of the smaller cylinder, and valve devices and passages for admitting fluid from the reservoir to the opposite sides of the larger piston alternately, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a signal controlled by Huid-pressure, and a pipe or conduit leading thereto, of a reservoir for fluid under pressure, a cylinder, a fluid-forcing piston operating therein, a controlling-valve and passages between the reservoir, cylinder and conduit controlled by said valve for admitting fiuid under pressure from the reservoir to the conduit and to one side of t-he piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a signal controlled by Huid-pressure, and a pipe or conduit leading thereto, of ya reservoir for fluid under pressure, the cylinders F, G, the former having port j, pistons F', G', the passages f, g, h, and the valve controlling pipes f and g, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a reservoir for fluid under pressure, cylinders F and G, connected pistons F' and G' pipes f, g and h and the controlling-valve between the reservoir and pipesfand g, of the pipe or conduit 7c, a

signal having a cylinder connected to the pipe le, and automatic valve devices between the pipe 7c and cylinder, actuated by uidpressure to admit fluid to the signal-cylinder or open the said cylinder to the air, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the signal having the cylinder, the movable piston therein and the pipe c, of the pipe 7c, the differential valve having the exhaust-port and the auxiliary valve actuated by fluid-pressure, both said differential and auxiliary valves being located between the pipes 7tand c, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the signal having the cylinder, the movable piston therein and the pipe c, of the pipe 7o, the differential cylinders having the ports M2 and q, the pistons L and M therein, the auxiliary-valve casing having ports o and p, the valve N', and the passages m, n, o', and pipe p' arranged and operating substantially as described.

8. The combination with a signal-piston, a cylinder in which it operates and a fluid-conduit leading thereto, of a reservoir for fluid under pressure, an engine for positively forcing fluid into the conduit and exhausting it therefrom, a single valve for admitting iiuid from the reservoir to the engine to operate it positively in opposite directions and passages also controlled bysaid valve for governing the supply and exhaust of fiuid directly to and from the conduit, substantially as described.

9. The combination with an operated device as a signal, having a cylinder and a movable piston therein, and a conduit leading to said signal-cylinder, of a reservoir for fluid under pressure, a Huid-forcing device or engine connected to the conduit, and a single valve for governing the supply and exhaust to and from the engine and to and from the conduit, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a signal controlled by fluid-pressure, and a pipe or conduit leading thereto, of a reservoir for fluid IOO IZO

devices operating to close communication be* tween the reservoir and conduit,substantially as described.

JAMES H. MCCARTNEY.

Vitnesses:

D. C. MoMoNoGLE,

of the piston having the larger area and valve F. F. CHURCH. 

